In a previous ezine we discussed the distinction between an Influencing Paradigm, and a Service Paradigm, to marketing your coaching business. We discussed how marketing your business is both ethically valid and commercially crucial, and how marketing is a critical process in achieving your coaching objective of having a positive impact on the lives of others.
To quickly surmise, we explained that people with an Influencing Paradigm mindset perceive marketing to be 'leading' and 'salesy.' They come from the paradigm that by marketing you are proactively influencing someone in their decisions. Or specifically that you may make someone do something they would not otherwise do.
People from the Service Paradigm school of thought accept that prospects are people that have identified for themselves their need to invoke change. And they've identified that a coach will assist them make that change. They recognise that the prospect has made the intellectual link between their needs and how they want those needs to be fulfilled.
To be a successful coach, or in fact successful in any business, it's critical that you embrace a Service Paradigm mindset toward your marketing.
In this article we're going to further explore exactly how you can develop a Service Paradigm marketing mindset.
Before we can begin to discuss how you can develop your Service Paradigm mindset, let's look at some of the characteristics. Coaches with a Service Paradigm recognise that to assist clients meet their objectives, they need to:
- Recognise that everyone in business is in the business of marketing. Without clients they'll have no one to deliver their services too and hence no one to assist.
- Actively promote their services through compelling advertising that clearly describes what they can offer clients.
- Ethically promote their services with vigilance.
- Recognise the cycle of life of their prospects and regularly promote their services for as long as prospects allow.
- Understand that hey are often in a superior position of knowledge to ascertain what their client needs to assist them attain their goals.
- Be empathic to the needs of clients and actively offer solutions to them through various products and services.
- Value their client's intellect and decision making ability.
- Not pre-empt their client's wants and hence limit the range and scope of products and services they offer them.
- Always acts as an ethical adviser.
As a coach, to outwit your competitors you must create a niche; and to build a successful business you must attain a Service Paradigm marketing mindset.
To develop your Service Paradigm marketing mindset:
1. Be determined to succeed. You need to be absolutely determined that you're going to succeed. If you just want to succeed, but you're not willing to go the extra mile, you'll get swept aside by those that are more determined. If you are truly determined, you'll be confident and this confidence will automatically show in your business and be transparent to prospective clients, peers and the general public. Prospective clients will want to be associated with you, and clients will want to continue their involvement.
2. Persevere. Coaches with a marketing mindset embrace challenges as part of life and part of business. If you perceive challenges as impassable barriers you'll never develop a marketing mindset. It's crucial you accept you're going to confront hurdles as part of business. How you perceive these hurdles, as opportunities or barriers, will drastically influence your level of success. Perseverance is a key ingredient in developing a marketing mindset.
3. Remain positive. Literally nothing destroys a marketing mindset more than a negative attitude. A marketing mindset is a 'can do' attitude. Faced with the same challenge, the coach with a positive 'can do' marketing mindset will find a way; the coach with a defeatist attitude will submit and fail.
4. Set Goals. As a coach this is something you should know a lot about. Set yourself specific, achievable, stretch goals.
5. Plan a strategy. Establish a specific plan of action to attain your goals. Identify what resources you'll need and the possible challenges you may confront.
6. Implement your plan. This is the most difficult part. Implementation of your plan. Modify it where required, change your goals as others are attained, modify your plan if flaws are perceived, but always continue implementing. Non-action is the precursor of business failure. If you continue to implement, your business will always sustain forward momentum. If you have momentum, your direction (goals and plans) can always be adjusted.
7. Keep marketing. Your success or failure hinges on your marketing. Always maintain your marketing mindset. Always be focussed on marketing. It's a common trap to get caught up in the day to day 'operation' of your business and put marketing aside. This is a recipe for disaster. How effectively you market will be the most influential determinant on the success (or otherwise) of your business. Marketing is not difficult or confusing, but it does require significant ongoing diligence and attention. The moment you lose focus on marketing your business is the moment your business performance will suffer.

About The Author

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